Author Andrea Strafile
Nowadays sustainability is very much in the air within the bar industry. The most important cocktail competitions in the world include it as a main theme; bars and bartenders strive to be sustainable in every possible way, from zero waste to the use of seasonal fruit. However, understanding sustainability, the real, full one, is another story. An issue that has not been addressed too much and on which we still proceed on eggshells, because of a system where it has never really been a fundamental part.
Stephanie Jordan-Balmforth and Her Sustainable Mission
The question then is: would it be possible to create a sustainable cycle in a world that, unlike the cuisine, is necessarily sustained by large-scale production? To dive into this complicated and stormier sea, we spoke to Stephanie Jordan-Balmforth, cofounder of Drink Out Loud consulting company and Avallen calvados.
Stephanie, whose 15-year career has taken her to top-level roles in the spirits world, is on a mission: to speak in word and deed about sustainability in the bar world in a different, allround, circular and uncompromising way. Which she does with her calvados but, perhaps more importantly, by acting as a bridge between companies and bars with her consultancy company.
Respecting the Enviroment
«I was basically born into this world», Jordan-Balmforth says. «My mother was in the wine industry and my father was in the whiskey business. I lived most of my life as a child in the Beaujolais region, surrounded by vineyards and land. And when you practically live surrounded by vineyards you realise that to make a good product you have to follow certain standards and respect the environment.».
A prodigious marketing machine, Stephanie Jordan-Balmforth came to prominence when she held Diageo’s reserve portfolio, initially in Spain and then in the Indian Ocean area, and then when she held the position of Global Brand Ambassador for Tanqueray and also in her later joining La Hachichera as Global Advocacy. In plain words, she is one of those keystone figures in the industry, has seen it all and knows what she is talking about.
Stephanie Jordan-Balmforth and her Calvados
«Ever since I worked for other companies, the question that came up for me at a distillery was: where does the malt you make whisky come from? I formed an opinion that for a sustainability talk, you cannot separate it from a circularity argument», she says.
«So, when we decided to make a calvados, we asked ourselves where to start from. The answer is simple: you have to start from the beginning, that is, from the ingredients. Brands must constantly ask themselves questions about the problems that actually exist in order to solve them. Not just which alcohol is the best, but for example: what if I make alcohol from fruit such as apples or grapes? Isn’t it better than using wheat alcohol, considering that the fermentation of the fruit takes place by crushing the pulp and therefore requires much less water? And again, have you ever thought that fruit falls from trees while wheat has to be cut with machines that pollute?».
Conscious Choices Throughout the Supply Chain
This discussion, that is getting to the real crux of the matter unabashedly, covers the actual whole production chain. «The later stages of distribution are even more polluting. Bottling in the country of destination should be preferred to shipping thousands of glass bottles. You can really do it without glass if you want. For example, we have cardboard bottles, but aluminium is also a viable alternative, which additionally does not break during transportation».
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